A fly-tipper has been fined for dumping rubbish in a layby next to a bin on the A428, after an investigation by South Cambridgeshire District Council.
The waste, including household rubbish and personal correspondence, was found next to a public litter bin on the eastbound carriageway of the A428 at Madingley on 14 December 2022.
Evidence was seized from the site and South Cambridgeshire District Council Environmental Crime Enforcement Team began an investigation.
An address in Lode was discovered within the paperwork which was amongst the rubbish. Enquiries were then carried out with the support of East Cambridgeshire District Council.
The offender was quickly identified through Council Tax records.
She admitted the offence, claiming that she had no other way of disposing of the waste as there were no bins in her local area.
She was issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice of £400, which was reduced to £300 if paid within 10 days.
Lead Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Licensing at South Cambridgeshire District Council, Cllr Henry Batchelor, said: “This is a good example of how we will work across local borders to investigate fly-tips and ensure those who dump rubbish are punished.
“Whenever waste is abandoned in South Cambridgeshire, we’ll do our very best to track down where it came from – and in this instance it was excellent to work closely with our counterparts in East Cambridgeshire to ensure that the person who dumped it was caught.
“Fly-tipping is a blight on the countryside, it can be dangerous to people and animals, and we know residents hate it as much as we do.
“If you have rubbish from home to get rid of, take it to a Household Recycling Centre like those at Milton or Thriplow, or use a business or contractor licensed as a waste carrier by the Environment Agency.
“This means you can rest assured your waste will be disposed of legally and responsibly.”
Fly tipping – or illegally dumping waste on land without a permit – is a criminal matter. Under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, the courts can impose a maximum fine of £50,000, or an unlimited fine and up to five years in prison.
Courts can also order the forfeiture of vehicles used in fly-tipping incidents.
As in this case, Fixed Penalty Notices can also be issued.
If you witness someone fly-tipping, call the police on 999 and report it as an environmental crime in progress. Report fly-tipping that you come across in South Cambridgeshire to the District Council at www.scambs.gov.uk/report
One of the District Councillors for Madingley, Cllr Richard Stobart, said: “This is a real shame. Every time somebody fly-tips, it’s in somebody’s neighbourhood.
“It shows a lack of respect towards the residents of Madingley who work so hard to maintain the appearance of their village and its surroundings.”
FACT FILE
In a report published in May 2022, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs summarised that the range of impacts of fly-tipping includes a blight on the local environment, a danger to public health and a hazard to wildlife. It also highlighted that it undermines legitimate waste businesses.
You can be prosecuted even if your waste is fly tipped by someone else on your behalf. If paying someone to take rubbish away, always use a registered waste carrier, which you can verify on the Environment Agency website, to provide a skip or collect your rubbish so you can be confident that it will not end up dumped.
